


In this life or the next

by Regruba



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, F/F, Gen, Other, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25971322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regruba/pseuds/Regruba
Summary: The Heavenly battle spilled onto the mortal plain. Angelic beings wage war. God's warriors ordained to restore the balance. Is it the beginning of the end?  My take on what happened after the cliff hanger ending of season 1.
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 9
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Jeremiah 1:19  
  
**And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee. KJV**

The sky tore open and a blinding light fell from the heavens. The earth shook as it struck the ground. A shock wave pushed through the crowd knocking the possessed off their feet. High pitch shrieks reverberated of the walls as wraith demons fled from the light leaving limp bodies scattered across the floor.

  
Mary laid lifeless among them, curled up in a fetal position, a feeble attempt to protect herself from the demonic horde’s onslaught. Instinctively the nuns ran to their sister. Each taking a defensive stance around her, still trying to make sense of it all.

Beatrice slowly moved into a crouching position. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, taking in as much detail as she could. She started playing out scenarios in her mind, searching for possible escape roots. They were trapped. Beatrice moved her hand up Mary's body, refusing to look away from Adriel. She finally found Mary’s pulse point, praying for a rhythmical beat against her 2 fingers.

The light finally faded and was replaced by the night sky. In front of them stood a tall figure, its back turned to them. Ava's body started burning as she felt the halo react to whoever, or whatever stood in front of her.

 _"Camila!”_ Beatrice pulled on Camila's habit trying to get her attention. “ _Help me!”_

  
They were all entranced by the power emanating from the stranger. Camila snapped out of the daze and knelt next to Beatrice. Beatrice finally looked at her sister. Her strong, stubborn and impulsive Mary. She feared that she would not survive another loss.

_“Mary, please wake up”_

A single escaped tear ran down her cheek. Beatrice made no effort to wipe away the runaway tear, instead she cradled her sister’s head in both of her hands. The tear fell onto Mary’s brow mixing with the blood from a deep cut. Beatrice squeezed her eyes shut, willing back the tears that threatened to spill out. She needed to take charge. She could deal with these emotions later.

Camila saw the brokenness in Bea’s eyes. She hated that look it broke her heart. Camila prayed outload for her unconscious sister as her hands moved on their own, guided by years of training, searching Mary’s body for injuries.

  
_“Mary! Mary!_ ” Mary was out cold. They both grabbed an arm and dragged Mary away from the impending danger.

  
Lilith and Ava moved closer together using their bodies to shield their sister warriors from whatever may come next.

 _"Hello brother"_ Adriel greeted with a sneer. His hollow greeting was met with silence.

 _"Took you long enough to find me! Did you come to drag me back to the pits of hell_?" Adriel asked sarcastically. “ _Come brother. Let us show these ignorant sheep how the gods settle their differences"_ he openly taunted his brother.

He exuded power and something otherworldly. Ava felt drawn to this man. A primal need to be close to him. She assumed that these emotions were driven by the halo that set fire to every cell in her body. It felt like that time Jillian Salvius lit her up like a Christmas tree.

  
_"Enough!"_

It sounded like thunder bursting from his chest. He lifted up the staff in his hand pulling lightning from the sky. The light slithered down his staff and around his arm until it borrowed into his chest. He shown like a full moon on a cloudless night.

Ava heard Camila and Beatrice behind her. Somewhere Lilith's voice drifted between everything.

  
_"This is clearly not our fight"_ Lilith through over her shoulder briefly making eye contact with Beatrice. _"We need to get out of their way before…_ "

Before Lilith could finish her sentence, the man's staff hit the ground with such force that the earth shook for the second time that night. The old building was starting to protest under the constant assault. The Vatican started to crumble around them. It was too much for the centuries-old mortar holding it together. Cracks ran across the stone floor and up and around old coulombs. Ancient statues lost their balance and toppled off their pedestals. They crashed into the floor sending shards of marble in all directions.

 _"You don't scare me brother"_ Adriel hissed.

_“I am not hear to scare you Adriel”_

_“Then what is it Barakiel? I am tired of your mightier than thou aura. What are you going to do?_

_Are you really going to fight me here in front of these mortals? Will you shatter their world with a show of power? You are too righteous or should I rather say pretentious” Adriel was seething with anger_

_“O Brother”_ Barakiel sighed. _“You were always talented with twisting words and selling lies, but you forget that it won't work on me. I know you.”_

_“Why now brother. Where were you when I was locked up in a stone vault?”_

_“I was not interested. You could no longer manipulate humankind to do your bidding, but now you have my attention.”_

_“I am not going back!”_ Adriel yelled

Once more, Adriel pulled the red wraiths out of the air, pushing them into the bodies scattered on the ground. 

  
The bodies reanimated and started crawling on all fours. Ravenous eyes as black as ink locked onto the warrior nuns. Like hungry wolves their lips curled up baring their teeth as hellish howls travelled through the air. Their hands morphed into claws that ended in long razor-sharp nails. Half beast half human abominations charged at them. Barakiel swung his staff above his head churning the air into a whirlwind that he set loose on his brother’s pets. The roaring wind forced Lilith and Ava to their knees.

The air was thick with static as the veil was being torn between the mortal and immortal world. Lightning danced above their heads. It was as if the end times were upon them. Rubble and debris were swept up by the wind and flung into the horde. Marble shards turned into projectiles, sliced into bodies.

Deformed and now bloodied the demonic hoard still charged.

Ava wanted to run, she wanted to be swallowed up by the ground. It then hit her. What if she phased through the stone floor into the crypts below? Was she able to generate enough energy to phase while holding another human being?

Ava could feel the Halo being super charged by the presence of the angelic being. She slowly stood up determined to repay the sacrifices made by her sisters. It was worth a shot. She turned around searching for Mary. Hoping the supernatural brother’s rivalry will occupy them enough for her to make her move and praying that the demonic hoard won’t catch up with her. Mary lay on her back a few feet away. Camilla and Beatrice stood over her trying to figure out who will tend to Mary and who will join the fight.

Ava Made up her mind. She took a deep breath and shot out of the starting blocks like a world record sprinter, pushing Beatrice and Camilla away and diving onto Mary.

They landed on the ground with a loud thud. _“What the fuck. It worked!_ ” Ava proclaimed victoriously _. “Sorry Mary, please be okay” she prayed_

They were definitely in old catacombs. Roman pots and urns lined the walls blanketed by years of cobwebs.

 _“Now what you freaking genius? The rest_ of your team is still up there, and you are stuck in the dark”

Camilla, Beatrice and Lilith stared at the floor where Mary laid a few seconds ago. They didn’t really have time to process what happened as a large swiss guard slammed into Lilith. Beatrice grabbed the Holy sword and thrust it into the man’s side. She pulled out the sword and spun around him, slicing into the next demon.

Camilla picked up Mary’s shotguns and started pumping Divinium into demons left right and center.

Lilith let go of all restrain and gave into the beast that she was fighting to keep down. Her head jerked back involuntarily as an otherworldly power filled her, she felt the fire run through her veins, it burned with an intoxicating high. For the first time since she can remember she felt free, unburdened and unrestricted. She let the hunger consume her as her eyes started hunting down the closest prey. She locked eyes with a Cardinal that was running straight at her. She grabbed him by his throat lifting him from the ground. He dug his nails into her arm trying to get out of her grip. She could feel his nails digging into her, but there was no pain. She laughed at him and squeezed till his windpipe crushed under the pressure of her grip. She could feel cartilage and bone snapping. The Cardinal’s eyes rolled back in his head. She tossed his lifeless body away like trash. She liked this. She liked how she felt. She wanted more.

Ava could make out burial niches that were carved into the walls. _“Maybe I could climb up there and push through the ceiling.”_ She made her way to the other side of the chamber and started the climb. _  
_ “Sorry dudes” she apologized while moving linen wrapped bodies out of her way. She felt like a mole blindly digging its way through the dirt, praying that she had enough power left to save one more sister. Ava’s pushed her head through the stone floor followed by her arms. She planted her hands firmly on the ground and pushed up and out of the stone. She found herself between the fountain and the fight.

Camila was standing in the doorway. Feet firmly planted and arms stretched out, she held a shotgun in each hand her aim true and steady as her faith. Bodies dropped and piled up at her feet.

Ava ran into Camilla throwing her arms around her pushing her tightly against her body and dropped through the floor. They landed a few feet from Mary. Camila doubled over and emptied her stomach. She was shaking.

“Fuck…are you okay?” Ava felt the Halo draining faster than it could recharge.

Camila stood with her hands on her knees. Her world was spinning. “I don’t know” she breathed out. She took a deep breath through her nose, an attempt at settling her stomach and dizzy spells.

“Bad ass” She flashed Ava a smile.

“I know right”

Beatrice was struggling, she could no longer hold her ground. “Lilith!” She shouted. A claw caught on her leather vest ripping it off her back. She cried as she felt nails tore through her flesh.

“Stop this assault on the innocent” Barakiel pleaded with his brother. “This fight is between you and me, they do not deserve this fate”

Beatrice’s cry finally reached Lilith’s ears. It made her blood run cold. Lilith only then realized that the demons were forcing them apart and she was too drunk with blood lust to realize she left her sister vulnerable. Lilith inched her way back to Beatrice pushing through torn up bodies and slicing through the once who dared challenge her. Desperately fighting to get to Beatrice.

“They will feel all of my wrath! Adriel shouted back. “They locked me away in the dark to be forgotten. I am a god and I will remind them of it!”

It was full on Armageddon when Ava poked her head through the floor. The wind was still howling and screams of pain and anger bounced of the stone walls.

Adriel realised that the nuns were stronger than he anticipated and his brother more powerful then he remembered. The energy that he was channeling into the possessed was taking its toll.

“Our Father, which art in heaven” Beatrice inhaled and felt each cut and bruise. She filled her lungs till they burned and exhaled all her fears and doubts. If this was to be her end it will be an honorable death.

 _“Hallowed be thy Name”_ she tightened her grip on the holy sword until her knuckles turned white.

 _“Thy kingdom come;”_ and so Beatrice’s dance with death began anew.

Lilith kept her focus on Beatrice. Her sister kept fighting and moving forward with an eerie calmness. It was something to behold. Lilith joined her sister in prayer

 _“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven:”_ they drew strength from each verse.

_“and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;”_

the familiar prayer drifted across the battlefield. It burned the ears of the damned and irritated Adriel.

 _Lies! Lies!_ Adriel screamed at no one particularly.

Ava heard the familiar prayer it awoke a new power within her. She was fighting of the paralyzing grip on her body. She was fighting the fear and the desire to run and hide. She was determined to save her team even if it meant to sacrifice herself.

Both her sisters were fighting their way to each other both praying out load focusing on each other and the holy words. Ava was in the middle, yet to enter the battlefield.

The halo was nearly depleted. She felt the fear gripping her heart the possibility of having to choose one above the other was settling in. 

The Brothers were preoccupied with their disagreements, almost forgetting the mortal world and the chaos they unleashed.

Ava picked up a swiss guard’s spear, she accepted her fate and joined her sisters in prayer and battle.


	2. Chapter 2

The battle raged on and heavenly beings were destroying the world around them.

Ava trembled with fear and exhaustion, the fear of losing her sisters that were amidst the chaos chanting holly words that draped around them like invisible armour.

Ava looked down at her legs. It felt as if they sprouted roots deep into the stone floor, they were heavy, and she struggled to will them to move. The fear of being paralysed filled her body with what felt like concrete. The halo flickered like a torch sucking out the last bit of battery power before dying.

Desperation raised up in her throat like bail. She had to act now, she had to make that heart wrenching decision now.

Beatrice swung the sword in front of her erratically all grace and composure drained out of her. The sword’s hilt was slick with blood. Beatrice struggled to hold onto it her fingers burned with the effort. Tears were flowing freely leaving tracks through her blood crusted cheeks. She was not ready to die.

Lilith morphed into something less worldly and into something of myth and legend. The bloodlust drove her mad. Her eyes were big dark pools that swallowed the light. Her claw like hands were covered in blood and glowed with a fiery intensity. It was as if embers were imbedded underneath her skin. Steam rose of her body and she was panting heavily like a wild dog after a hunt. Lilith felt possessed by the devil, but even more disturbing, she felt that she was becoming a devil, becoming the dragon.

Horns broke out of her skull taring its way through her skin, she gave out a horrifying cry as blood ran into her eyes, temporarily blinding her.

She blinked through the blood and wiped at her face with her forearms, the split second of disorientation was enough for her to miss the swiss guard that ran her through with a piece of wrought iron, previously part of an intricate design from some ancient railing. The pain and shock that shot through her body was nearly unbearable, she felt the last bit of humanity oozing out from the supposed to be fatal wound. She grabbed onto the shaft of the rod with both hands and pulled it out. The iron glowed red in her hands. A fire burned within her.

Beatrice felt her knees gave way as a body slammed into her back. Her knees smashed into the stone floor and sent a wave of pain up her body. The impact caused her grip to loosen and the sword fell out of her hands, the momentum carrying it forward out of Beatrice's reach.

Beatrice's habit was sticking to her, soaked with blood, it was suffocating. Her muscles ached and the blood loss was taking its toll, stars flickered in her peripheral view. An arm circled her trout and pulled her off the ground into a kneeling position. She clawed at the arm and tried to get oxygen into her lungs. Her options were limited. She surrendered her body to gravity an pulled the attacker to the ground. Before they hit the ground, Beatrice threw her elbow out praying that her elbow will connect with her attacker. They fell into a tangled mess of limbs and corpses. Beatrice was thrashing around trying to break loose. She finally got the upper hand and straddled her attacker grabbing him around his neck, she started joking him. He grabbed her arms and dragged his razor-sharp nails from her shoulders over her forearms and dug into her wrists. Beatrice applied more pressure lifting herself of his groin hovering over him and forcing her weight onto his neck.

The Swiss guard was frozen in place as the heat spread up the rod closing in on his hands that were still holding the rod. He was bewitched by her horns. Lilith covered the caping wound with one hand thrusted the rod through the guard with her other hand. the rod now a flaming spear in her claws.

Lilith skin peeled away as her limbs stretched out revealing her new form. She was an angel dressed in the skin of a Tarask, a living breathing metal armour covered her whole body.

Still clutching at her side, she searched for her sister, swatting away the possessed with the flaming spear in her hand. Instead of her sister she met the eyes of Father Vincent cowering behind a pillar.

Father Vincent pointed his pistol at Lilith stepping from behind the pillar and moving closer to Adriel.

“Master! Master!” he shouted. Adriel and Barakiel stood in the eye of a hurricane lightning flashed in whites and reds and the air cracked and boomed around them. “Master! Master!” Father Vincent tried again. His pleading voice blown away by the raging winds. Divinium tipped bullets exploded out of the barrel belonging to the pistol in Father Vincent's hand, shooting in the general direction of Lilith hoping to hit his target.

Ava’s foot caught on a severed leg that belonged to one of Lilith numerous victims, she stumbled forward trying to regain her balance but tripped over another corpse slamming face first into the floor. She pushed herself of the ground trying to find her feet. She felt drunk her limbs did not move in the way they were supposed to. _“Please God! please God! One more!”_

The body underneath Beatrice finally stopped moving.

Ava was only a few feet away from Beatrice when Beatrice’s body gave into her injuries and she fell to the side, hands still around her attacker's throat. 

The Bullets sang past Lilith’s ears, but she was unfazed by his poor attempt, unafraid of what divinium can do to her. It was now or never to avenge her sisters. She lifted the spear its tip burning like the sun. She pulled back her arm until the fiery tip scraped against her horn, the horrid screeching of metal scraping against metal cut through the raging winds. She threw the spear at Father Vincent with all her might sending it flying like a missile.

Lilith was angry she was grieving for her lost sisters for those she murdered for the wrong choices that lead to this moment, for what she was turning into. The anger and despair were ranging inside her.

The broken body of Beatrice was painted red with blood. She could hear a familiar voice calling out for her, but it was difficult to focus on the voice with the pounding in her ears and chest.

The spear hit its target sending Father Vincent through the air into the hurricane. His body burst into flames when it collided with Adriel. The winds died down and the lightning fizzled into nothingness. Adriel was pinned underneath the flaming corpse of his once devoted servant, flames licking at his skin and robe. Barakiel removed his robe revealing the purest white wings. He rolled his shoulders back and shook his wings loose.

“Beatrice!” Ava was crawling on her knees and hands, no longer able to stay on her feet. “Lilith!”

Barakiel’s gaze swept over the destruction sown by his Brother. His eyes rested on Lilith’s hunched over form. She reminded him of his brothers’ fallen children, when they chose the daughters of Eve over their Heavenly Father.

His gaze moved over to the halo bearer crawling over bodies, innocent bystanders that lost their lives in the most horrible of ways. She was frantically calling out.

“Beatrice!”

She was crawling towards the warrior that caught his eye earlier, the warrior he admired, who called upon the heavenly Father for strength, a true believer.

Barakiel new the consequences of meddling in the fate of humans, but these warriors were desperately in need of God's grace. They were part of his army. They said the vows.

Lilith tried to breath, tried to settle the rage, tried to lock it away. She looked down at her hands, the long claws were retreating into her nailbeds, her skin grew back as her metal armour crept back into muscles, veins, bones and tendons. The wound on the side of her stomach were the rod entered and the wound on her back where the rod excited was still bleeding. Lilith was over being skewered like a piece of meat.

Barakiel pulled Father Vincent’s remains of Adriel. Adriel tried to get up but was immediately pinned to the ground by his brother foot on his neck.

Barakiel rested his staff on Adriel's chest applying just enough pressure to make Adriel uncomfortable. Adriel struggled to breath an grabbed his brother’s ankle trying to relieve the pressure on his neck, but to no vail, he was trapped. Barakiel applied more and more pressure to the staff in his hand. Adriel screamed as the end of the staff slowly sank into his chest, he felt it break through his rib cage, deeper and deeper it sank, puncturing through his lung. Barakiel looked his brother in the eyes, they stared deep into each other's soul as the Barakiel’s staff pushed through the stone floor pinning Adriel in place.

“Stay” Barakiel lifted his foot of his brother’s throat.

He walked over to Ava, holding out his hand. Ava reached out and he pulled her to her feet. His power ignited the Halo and strength retuned to Ava’s tired bones.

“Go to her” he pointed at Beatrice.

With his brothers' staff sticking out of his chest like a flagpole, Adriel could not heal. He also did not have enough energy to remove the staff. He cursed his brother! He cursed his Father! Blood laced his lips and ran down the corners of his mouth. He choked on spit and blood but kept cursing those in the heavens above, the church and the gentiles.

Lilith was on her knees crying. The realisation of what she did hit her wave after wave and her body shook with regret. “Forgive me father” she repeated over and over, rocking back and forth lost to the world around her. A strong but gentle hand cupped her cheek. Barakiel crouched next to her. He took her face in both his hands. He protectively wrapped his wings around her, trying to comfort her.

“You are beautiful child. This might not be what you thought to be your destiny, but you are a warrior and you are blessed not cursed” he kissed her on the forehead and stood up. Her horns, the last remnant of the beast, shrank into her skull.

“You are needed there” He pointed at Beatrice and Ava

Ava held Beatrice and cried until her face hurt. Beatrice was not responding to Ava’s pleads to open her eyes. Ava cupped Beatrice’s face, her thumb trailed over her cheek trying to wash away the blood with her tears.

Barakiel returned his foot to Adriel’s neck and pulled out his staff. He bent over and picked up his brother by the throat. Barakiel unfolded his wings. he stretched them out and with one swift movement he was in the air. Adriel

Lilith and Ava could not believe their eyes. Adriel was suspended in the air, choking in his brother's grip.

Barakiel looked down at the them bowed his head and shot up into the sky disappearing behind the clouds.


End file.
